We are always blown away with the wonderful ideas our supporters come up with. One awesome young fundraiser decided to go the extra mile for her local children’s hospice.

Blossom, 13, from Wanstead decided she wanted to raise money for Haven House by completing her own 5km run during lockdown.

To attract support on route, the Forest School student designed her own running t-shirt complete with the colourful Haven House logo. And it certainly worked as she was cheered on along route by passers-by and a few four-legged friends!

Blossom said: “I decided to run for Haven House as it’s a charity close to my heart, which I have grown up with. When my sister and I were younger we used to bring our toys, we had outgrown to Haven House and the staff were always so grateful for our donations. I know how important it is to support Haven House during what has been a tough year for the charity.

Haven House supports local children who are seriously ill with life threatening or life limiting conditions. I may not be able to help the children medically, but I can help them by trying to make their lives that little bit better.

Blossom says that although she enjoys running and is part of the Woodford Wasps running club, she is by no means a mid-distance runner and prefers short races. The toughest part was the uphill home stretch.

She added: “Considering I am a short distance runner; I really enjoyed the challenge. I loved breathing in the fresh air and hearing passers-by cheering me on. One lady shouted out ‘well done’, so that made me happy. It really kept me motivated. Towards the end it was all uphill to get home that was probably the hardest bit (I guess I could have planned my route better).”


Sophie Bragg, Haven House’s events fundraising manager, said: “It’s so inspirational to see our young supporters take on challenges like this. Huge congratulations to Blossom! She has raised a fantastic £374 for our hospice. This will make such a difference to the children, and their families that we support.”


Inspired by Blossom? Why not create and take on your very own fundraising challenge? We have lots of tips and ideas!